China has dammed the Brahmaputra river in Tibet for the first time in order to begin the main construction work on a 510 MW hydropower station project, notwithstanding concerns raised by India in this regard.
The river was dammed on November 12 to help in the construction of the Zangmu Hydropower Station project in the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra river in Gyaca county of Lhoka prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region, according to Tibet Online, part of the state-run People’s Daily.
Beijing on Tuesday assured New Delhi the project was not aimed at diverting the river waters to affect the flow to India and other lower riparian countries. With an investment of nearly $1.18 billion, the station will have six 85-megawatt generating units, which will bring the total installed capacity to 510 megawatts.
It will be the first large hydropower station in Tibet and its first unit will be put into operation in 2014, which will greatly alleviate the power shortage in central Tibet, the report said.
The hydropower station can also be used for flood control and irrigation.
—PTI